24:23 Then he uttered this oracle:
“O, who will survive when God does this! 1
23:18 Balaam 2 uttered 3 his oracle, and said,
“Rise up, 4 Balak, and hear;
Listen to me, son of Zippor:
“The oracle 6 of Balaam son of Beor;
the oracle of the man whose eyes are open; 7
24:15 Then he uttered this oracle: 8
“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor;
the oracle of the man whose eyes are open;
24:20 Then Balaam 9 looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: 10
“Amalek was the first 11 of the nations,
but his end will be that he will perish.”
24:21 Then he looked on the Kenites and uttered this oracle:
“Your dwelling place seems strong,
and your nest 12 is set on a rocky cliff.
“Balak, the king of Moab, brought me 15 from Aram,
out of the mountains of the east, saying,
‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel.’ 16
1 tc Because there is no parallel line, some have thought that it dropped out (see de Vaulx, Les Nombres, 296).
2 tn Heb “he.” The antecedent has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Heb “took up.”
4 tn The verb probably means “pay attention” in this verse.
3 tn Heb “and he took up his oracle and said.”
4 tn The word נְאֻם (nÿ’um) is an “oracle.” It is usually followed by a subjective genitive, indicating the doer of the action. The word could be rendered “says,” but this translations is more specific.
5 tn The Greek version reads “the one who sees truly.” The word has been interpreted in both ways, “shut” or “open.”
4 tn Heb “and he took up his oracle and said.”
5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
6 tn Heb “and he lifted up his oracle and said.” So also in vv. 21, 23.
7 sn This probably means that it held first place, or it thought that it was “the first of the nations.” It was not the first, either in order or greatness.
6 sn A pun is made on the name Kenite by using the word “your nest” (קִנֶּךָ, qinnekha); the location may be the rocky cliffs overlooking Petra.
7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Balaam) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “took up.”
9 tn The passage calls for a past tense translation; since the verb form is a prefixed conjugation, this tense should be classified as a preterite without the vav (ו). Such forms do occur, especially in the ancient poetic passages.
10 sn The opening lines seem to be a formula for the seer to identify himself and the occasion for the oracle. The tension is laid out early; Balaam knows that God has intended to bless Israel, but he has been paid to curse them.